Expansion bracelet



Dec. 30, 1947. J. A. KUBICE EXPANSION BRACELET Filed Dec. 5, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheetl INVENTOR JOHN A. HUB/CE ATTORNEYS Dec. 30, 1947. J. A. KUBICE EXPANSION BRACELET v2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 5, 1944 IIIIIIIIIII 'III'IIIIIIIIIIIIIII .mmm

INVENTOR Jo/m/ /1./f0B/CE BY 9M, 12

A ORNEYS Patented Dec. 30, 1947 2,433,766 EXPANSION BRACELET John Kubice, Cicero, Ill., assignor to Jack Dorman, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application December 5, 1944, Serial No. 566,657

This invention relates to improvements in expansion bracelets of the type commonly used for wristwatches and has for its object the improvement of such bracelets. Expansion bracelets of the type.in question commonly comprise a series of pairs of crossed and pivoted links, each pair being articulated with adjacent pairs in orthodox lazy-tongs fashion. It'has been common practice to provide the male link of each pair with a central tubular cylindrical boss which acts as a pivot for the female link, and within these bosses have been coiled the springs which bias the bracelet into contracted position, resisting expansion. In accordance with the present invention, I coil each of these springs around the outside of its boss instead of within it. This has two advantages: first, assembly is made easier; and, second, a considerably larger coil diameter results with attendant lessening of fatigue and consequent longer life. I also anchor the spring to the boss to form a double spring, each half of which is coiled in the same direction, the free ends of each half engaging a projection on the female link. In this way I produce what is, in effect, two springs acting in conjunction; if one should be broken or otherwise rendered inoperative, the other could continue to function unaffected. Besides the foregoing I have made other improve ments in the construction of the bracelet which will appear from the description which follows.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, although the invention is not limited to it. In these drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the bracelet, with parts broken away, and the whole bracelet shown in contracted position; Figure 2 is an enlarged hori- 11 Claims. (Cl. 63-5) comprises fundamentally a male link I and a female link 2, stamped from a sheet of brass or similar malleable metal. The male link-l is in the form of the integration summer-an elongated S-and the female link is the same shape in reverse, At the center oi'the male link there is provided a cylindrical boss 3, drawn from the metal itself and therefore tubular, although the invention in its broader aspects would be applicable as well to a solid boss. This boss serves as the pivot .for the female link. At each end of the male link there is provided an upstanding lanced rivet 4 integral with the metal stock of the link and serving as a, connecting pivot for an adjacent female link.

The female link 2 is provided with a central opening designed to fit over the boss 3 so that zontal view of a group of articulated links, partly I in section and with parts removed, showing the position of the springs when the bracelet is contracted; Figure 3 is a transverse section taken alon line 3-3 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a longitudinal section taken along line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a section on the same scale of Figure 4 taken along line 5 5 of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a plan view of the female link; Figure 7 is a plan view of the coiled spring; Figure 8 is a plan view of the male link; Figure 9 is a side view of the link shown in Figure 8; Figure 10 is a plan view of one of the end links; Figure 11 is one of the short male links pivoted on the end link; Figure ,12 is one of the short female links pivoted on the end link, and Figure 13 is a side View of the link shown in Figure 11. The male links shown in Figures 8, 9, l1 and 13 are as they appear before assembly.

Except for the end links, which are necessarily pf a different construction and which will be described in due course, the bracelet illustrated in these drawings comprises a series of pairs of crossed and pivoted links, each pair being, in its turn, articulated with adjacent pairs. Each pair the female link shall be freely pivoted thereon. At each end of the female link there is provided a smaller opening 6 designed to make pivotal connection with a lanced rivet 4 of an adjacent male link. Along the sides of the female link between the openings 5 and 6 are upstanding lances I integral with the metal of the link itself. These act as abutments for the free end of the coil spring, as will be explained presently.

In assembling the bracelet, the first step is to place the female link over the male link with the boss 3 extending through the opening 5 to form a pair, which is then articulatedv with other pairs to form the bracelet by inserting the lanced rivets 4 on the male links through the openings 6 on adjacent female links. After this has been done a head I2 is formed on each of the lanced rivets by means of a spinning operation. Thereafter in the Walls of the boss 3, the lanced metal forming tongues 9 curling outward and downward to overlie the female link, as shown in Figure 4. A steel springwire I0 is then placed across the boss 3 Within the slots 8, with its center at the axis of the boss, and twisted counter-clockwise, each half of the spring wire making approximately a three-quarter turn about the boss and extending tangentially to a position behind one of the lances |all as shown most clearly in Figures 2, 3 and 4. The wire is thus formed into what is, in effect, two coil springs, each acting to swing the female link clockwise with reference to the male link. To prevent displacement of the coil spring, the upper edge of the boss 3 is rolled over by a punchin operation to form an angular flange H which overlies the coil.

Except for end links, the bracelet is now structurally complete. It is, however, necessary for aesthetic purposes, as well as to protect the spring, to provide each female link with an outer cap l3 usually of silver or plated brass which is swaged around the edges of the link, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. -It is also customary and desirable to provide each male link with an inner cap ll, similarly swaged in position.

The endlinks l6, one of which is shown in Figure 10, are of the usual D-shape and are connected to the watch by means of tubular links H. A short male link I, having lanced rivets 4' at either end is pivotally connected to and below the end link at its center, and a short female link 2', having openings 6, is pivotally connected to and abcve'the end link, one of the lanced rivets 4 having a spun head I! serving to articulate the three links by passing through an opening l8 in the end link and one of the openings 6' in the short female link. The other ends of the short links are'articulated with the adjacent pair of full-size cross links, as shown in Figure 1. No

springs are used on the end links and their. connecting short links; the springs on the full-size cross links sufiicing to hold the bracelet in contracted position, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Even when the bracelet is in contracted posi tion, the coil springs are under slight torsion and tend to swing the female links clockwise with reference to the male links. Such movement is prevented, however, by the abutment of adjacent outer caps, as shown in Figures land 2. When the bracelet is subjected to a longitudinal pull suflicient to overcome the countervailing torsion of the coil springs, the whole lazy-tongs is elongated until equilibrium is attained or maximum extension reached. This movement winds each spring section farther around its boss and stores up energy which acts to return the bracelet to its contracted position when the pull is released. There is, of course, sufficient play among the parts of the bracelet to yield the necessary flexibility.

I claim:

1. An expansion bracelet comprising a pair of .pivoted male and female links, a boss on the male link extending through an opening in the female link, and a double coil spring anchored to the boss, the free end of each half of the spring engaging the female link to contract the bracelet.

3. An expansion bracelet comprising a pair of pivoted male and female links, a boss on the male link extending through an opening in the female link, upstanding lances in the female link, and a double coil spring on the outside of and anchored to the boss, the free end of each half of the spring engaging a lance on the female link to contract the bracelet.

4. An expansion bracelet comprising a pair of pivoted male and female links, a boss on the male link extending through an opening in the female link, a slot in the boss, and a spring wire extending through the slot, coiled around the outside of the boss and engaging the female link to contract the bracelet.

5. An expansion bracelet comprising a pair of pivoted male and female links, a tubular boss on the male link extending through an opening in the female link, upstanding lances on the female. link, slots in the walls of the boss, and a, spring wire extending through the slots and coiled around the outside of the boss, each of the free ends of the wire engaging a lance on the female link to contract the bracelet.

6. An expansion bracelet of the lazy-tongs type comprising pairs of pivoted male and female links, each male link being pivotally connected at each end with the end of the adjaent female link, a tubular boss on the male link of each pair extending through an opening in the female link, upstanding lances on each female link, slots in the walls of each boss and a spring wire extending through the slots and coiled around the outside of the'boss, each of the free ends of the wire engaging a lance on the female link to contract the bracelet.

'1. An expansion bracelet comprising a pair of pivoted male and female links, aboss on the male link extending through an opening in the female link, a coil spring encircling the boss above the female link and anchored to the boss and having a free end engaging the female link to contract the bracelet, and a flange around the boss overlying the spring.

8. An expansion bracelet of the lazy-tongs type comprising pairs of pivoted male and female links,

.lanced and headed rivets on the ends of each male link extending through openings in the ends of the female links of adjacent pairs, a boss on the male link extending through an opening in the female link, upstanding lances on the female link, and a coil spring encircling and anchored to the boss with its free ends engaging the lances on the female link to contract the bracelet.

9. An expansion bracelet comprising a pair of pivoted male and female links, a tubular boss on the male link extending through an opening in the female link, upstanding lances on the female link, lanced slots in the boss, the lanced metal from the boss overlying the female link, and a spring wire extending through the slots and coiled around the outside of the boss, each of the free ends of the wire engaging a lance on'the female link to contract the bracelet.

-10. An expansion bracelet comprising a pair of pivoted male and female links, a tubular boss on the male link extending through an opening in the female link, upstanding lances on the female link, lanced slots in the boss, the lanced metal from the boss overlying the female link, a spring wire extending. through the slots and coiled around the outside of the boss, each of the free ends of the wire engaging a lance on the female link to contract the bracelet, and an annular flange around the upper edge of the boss for retaining the spring.

11. An expansion bracelet of the lazy-tongs type, comprising pairs of pivoted male and female links, lanced and headed rivets on the ends of each male link extending through openings in the ends of the female links of adjacent pairs, a boss on the male link extending through an opening in the female lin'k, upstanding lances on the female link, lanced slots in the boss, the lanced metal from th boss overlying the female link, a spring wire extending through the slots and coiled around the outside of the boss, each of the free ends of the wire engaging a lance on the female link to contract the bracelet, and an annular flange around the upper edge of the boss for retaining the spring.

JOHN A. KUBICE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 794,193 Sommer July 11, 1905 

